Letter



F. ASHLEY. LETTER FILE.

Patented Oct. 1, 1867.

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FREDERICK A s HLEY'; or N'EW YoaK, N; Y. Letters Patent No. 69,38 5,date ri October 1, 1867; antec laied June 1,1867.

LETTER-FEE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY-CONCERN:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK AsnLEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement on Letter-Files, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forniingpart of this specification, and in whieh- Figure 1 represents a face" view of a letter-file constructed according to myirnprovement, and

Figure 2 an edge view of the same.

Like letters indicate like parts in both figures.

My improvement relates to those descriptions of letter-files in which a divided or opening hook is used.

These have been variously constructed, including securing the upper portion of thehook to a plate having a sliding vertical motion on or within an adjacent plate, and closed by a spiral spring. My present improvement, however,,essentially differs therefrom, not merely in dispensing with a second plate and nicely constructed guide-way, but, by a simple pivoted attachment of the; upper portion of the hook or its single thumb-plate, giving to said hook portiorra lateral motion, which, in puttingletters on the file, is much more advantageous than a vertical one, as, by merely bearing on the side of the movable portion of the book by the hand and letter, in the act of putting the latter on the file, without any special or independent thumb action to open thehook, the latter may be opened to receive the letter on thelower or fixed portion of the hook, the'movahle hook portion being slotted at its side or sides to permit of such action. I

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the frame of the -file, which may either be hung or secured sons to restrain it from swinging, or may be suspended by a ring, a, or other suitable device. .3 is the fixed or lower portion of the hook, pointed at its upper extremity. C is the upper or movable portion of the same, which upper part 0 has attached to it a simple thumb-plate, b, pivoted at c to the-frame, and provided with a stop, d, that serves to arrest the hook portion 0 at its closed position, and against which a spring, e,acts to close the hook. By this pivoted arrangement no nicely constructed guide-way is necessary to the thumbplate, the stop (1 of which may work loosely in the cavity of the frame in which the spring is deposited. The lower end of the portion G of the hook is provided with a lateral slot or opening, f, to admit of its receiving within it,'so as to give a smooth run for the letters over the whole length of the hook when closed, the pointed extremity of the fixed portion B of the hook, and to allow of any lateral play or motion of the upper part C, that maybe constructed to'swing to either one or both sides, but is here shown as opening only on the one side, as represented by red lines in fig. 1.

The book may be opened either by pressing laterally on the thumb-plate or without such special action, particularly if the frame be hung so as to be restrained from swinging, by the more pressure ofthe hand against the movable part C in the act of putting a letter on the file or lower part B of the hook...

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secur le by Letters Patent, is-- Securing the upper portion G of the hook or thumb-plate b,to which it is attached by a pivot, c, to the frame A, for operation in combination with 'a spring, e,-to admit of the lateral play of said portion C relatively to' the lower portion B of the hook through a slot'oropening, f, in the former, substantially as specified. I

v I FREDK. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

A. La Crane, J. W; Coonns. 

